Fabrizio De André, the revered Italian singer/songwriter, created a deep and enduring body of work over the course of his career from the 1960s through the 1990s. With these translations I have tried to render his words into an English that reads naturally without straying too far from the Italian. The translations decipher De André's lyrics without trying to preserve rhyme schemes or to make the resulting English lyric work with the melody of the song.

"La canzone di Marinella" is perhaps the most famous of De André's songs, and when it was covered with great success by the Italian artist Mina in late 1967 it allowed De André to give up his day job and concentrate on songwriting. The song itself was based on the true story of a girl who became orphaned and then took to the streets to make money. She was murdered by a client. When he read the story, De André's impulse was to do something to help, in the only way he could - with a song, written as a way to change her death and to sweeten it somehow, given that we have no powers to change the events of someone's life.

This story of Marinella is the true story,
that she slipped into the river one spring.
But the wind that saw her so beautiful
carried her from the river onto a star.

Alone with no memory of sorrow,
you lived without the dream of a love.
But a king, without his crown and without escort,
knocked three times one day on your door.

White as the moon his hat,
and like the flush of love his cloak.
You followed him without any reason,
like a child chases after a kite.

And it was sunny and your eyes were beautiful,
he kissed your lips and your hair.
Then came the moon and your eyes were tired,
he placed his hands on your hips.

There were kisses and there were smiles,
then there were only fleurs-de-lis
that saw with the eyes of the stars
your skin trembling in the wind and the kisses.

They say then that while you were returning
you slipped into the river, who knows how?
And he, not wanting to believe you dead,
knocked a hundred years more at your door.

This is your song, Marinella,
that you flew to heaven on a star.
And like all of the most beautiful things,
you lived only one day, like the roses.

And like all the most beautiful things,
you lived only one day, like the roses.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

"Il gorilla" is a fairly faithful translation of one of Georges Brassens's most famous songs, "Le gorille" (1952). De André and Brassens shared a dislike of the powers-that-be in general, and the death penalty in particular.

On a city plaza
people were looking with admiration
at a gorilla brought there
by the gypsies of an amusement park.
With little sense of shame,
the neighbors of that district
contemplated the animal,
I’m not saying where or how.
Beware the gorilla!

All of a sudden the large cage
where the animal lived
burst open, I know not why,
perhaps they had closed it poorly.
The beast heading out of there
said, “Today I’ll take it off!”
He spoke of virginity,
to which he was still enslaved.
Beware the gorilla!

The owner began to shout
“My gorilla, watch out everyone!”
He’d never seen that an ape
could cause such confusion.
Everyone present at this point
fled in every direction,
even the women, demonstrating
the difference between idea and action.
Beware the gorilla!

All the people ran hurriedly
here and there with great determination.
Only a little old lady lingered behind,
and a young judge with robes.
Seeing that the others had melted away,
the four-handed ape sped up
and on the old lady and the magistrate
he descended with four leaps.
Beware the gorilla!

“Bah,” sighed the lady,
“that I could still be desirable
would be something rather strange
and, more than anything, unexpected.”
“That I am taken for an ape,”
thought the judge with a short breath,
“is impossible, this is certain.”
The following proves that he was wrong.
Beware the gorilla!

If some one of you had to,
forced with your back against the wall,
to violate a judge or a little old lady,
of your choice I would be certain.
But as it happens, the gorilla,
considered a grand hunk
by whosoever tried him, did not shine,
neither for his spirit nor for his taste.
Beware the gorilla!

In fact, scorning the old lady,
he set upon the magistrate.
He seized him firmly by one ear
and dragged him to the middle of a meadow.
That which transpired amidst the tall grass
I can’t tell you in its entirety,
but the spectacle was engrossing
and “suspense” was truly there.
Beware the gorilla!

I will say only that at the climax
of the unpleasant and gloomy drama
the judge wept like a calf,
and in the intervals cried “Mamma,”
cried “Mamma,” like that one who
the day before, as if he were a chicken,
with a sentence a bit unusual
he had ordered "Cut off his neck."
Beware the gorilla!

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

"La ballata dell'eroe" was the B-side of the 45 released by Karim in 1961 that De André considers his first published work (the A-side was "La ballata del Michè"). With the Cold War raging between the US and the USSR, and in the context of the unfolding Berlin Crisis, this song was a simple yet powerful anti-war ballad. The song was re-recorded by Luigi Tenco in 1962 and appeared in the movie "La Cuccagna." The song was republished in 1964 as the B-side to "La guerra di Piero" and also reinterpreted and included on Volume III. Though not officially credited, according to the sheet music of the song the music was written by Elvio Monti, who worked for Karim as arranger and orchestra conductor and who collaborated on many of De André's songs released by that label.

He had gone off to fight in the war,
to give help to his country.
They had given him the patches and the stars
and the advice to fight to the bitter end.
And when they told him to move ahead,
too far he pushed on, searching for the truth.
Now that he’s dead, his fatherland boasts
of another hero added to its memory.

But she who loved him waited for the return
of a living soldier. What will she make of a dead hero
if beside her in bed she is left with the glory
of a commemorative medallion?

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

While De André took inspiration and drew from poetry, "S'i' fosse foco, arderei 'l mondo" is the only poem he ever set to music. The Siennese Cecco Angiolieri was a contemporary of Dante and this sonnet is well known in Italian literature. At the time, the dominant style was Dolce Stil Novo, which emphasized an introspective approach to female beauty and divine love. The "take no prisoners" invective of Angiolieri's poem shows clearly that he rejected the Sweet New Style that was associated with Dante, its main exponent.

If I were fire, I’d burn the world down.
If I were wind, I would batter it with storm.
If I were water, I would drown it.
If I were God, I’d cast it into the depths.

If I were Pope, I would be jolly,
I'd get all the Christians in trouble.
If I were Emperor, know what I'd do?
I'd chop heads off all around.

If I were death, I'd go to my father’s.
If I were life I would flee him,
as similarly would I do from my mother.
If I were Cecco, as I am and as I was,
I would take the young, graceful women
and leave the foul, older ones to others.

If I were fire, I’d burn the world down.
If I were wind, I would batter it with storm.
If I were water, I would drown it.
If I were God, I’d cast it into the depths.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

"Amore che vieni, amore che vai" was the last song written by De André for the Karim label, and it was released in 1966 as side B to "Geordie." It treats a theme that appears regularly in De André's work, the mutability of love. The song is also featured in a 2008 movie of the same name, based on the novel Un destino ridicolo co-written by De André and Alessandro Gennari in 1996.

Those days long past of chasing the wind,
of asking each other for a kiss and wanting a hundred more,
one of these days you’ll remember them.
You, love who runs away, will come back to me.
One of these days you'll remember them.
You, love that flees, to me will return.

And you who with eyes of a different color
tell me the very same words of love,
in a month, in a year, you’ll have forgotten them.
Love who comes to me, from me you will flee.
In a month, in a year, you’ll have forgotten them.
Love who comes to me, from me you will flee.

Hailing from sunshine or from cold, cold shores,
lost in November or with a summer breeze,
I loved you always, I never loved you,
you, love, who comes and who goes.
I loved you always, I never loved you,
you, love, who comes, you, love, who goes.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

"La guerra di Piero" was the B-side of a single released in 1964, and it received little notice. However, in 1968 the song became an anthem to militant anti-war students in Italy and achieved the stature of Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind." The song has its origins in stories told to De André by his uncle, who served in World War II in the Albanian campaign and spent almost two years at the Mannheim concentration camp as a prisoner of war. He never recovered from the wartime trauma, and his stories made an indelible impression on the young De André. Even though credited only to De André, the music of the song was co-written with guitarist Vittorio Centanaro. "La giava," translated as "square dance," was in fact a fast waltz popular in France after World War I, considered by some an indecent dance because it involved touching the hips of the girl (gasp!).

You sleep buried in a field of grain.
It’s not the rose, it's not the tulip
that stands vigil over you by the shadow of the trenches,
but a thousand red poppies.

Along the banks of my stream
I wish the silver pikes would swim past,
no more the cadavers of soldiers
carried in the arms of the current.

Thus you were saying, and it was winter.
And like the others, towards the inferno
you go, sad as one who must.
The wind spits snow in your face.

Stop Piero, stop now,
let the wind pass over you a bit,
bring to you the voice of the battle dead -
whoever gave his life had a cross in exchange.

But you didn’t hear it, and time passed
with the seasons at the pace of a square dance,
and you arrived to cross the frontier
on a beautiful day in spring.

And while marching, shouldering your spirit,
you saw a man down in the valley
with the very same mood as yours,
but the uniform of a different color.

Shoot him, Piero, shoot him now,
and afterwards fire a shot at him again
until you don’t see him, lifeless,
falling to the ground to cover his blood.

And if I shoot him in the forehead or in the heart,
he’ll only have time to die.
But time will remain for me to see,
to see the eyes of a man who is dying.

And while you give him this consideration,
he turns, he sees you and is afraid
and, his artillery raised and aimed,
he doesn't return the same courtesy to you.

You fell to the ground without a cry
and were aware in an instant
that there would not be enough time for you
to ask pardon for every sin.

You fell to the earth without a cry
and realized in an instant
that your life was ending that day,
and there would be no return.

My Ninetta, dying in May
takes way too much courage.
Beautiful Ninetta, straight to hell
I would have preferred to go in winter.

And while the grain stood to hear you,
in your hands you were gripping a rifle,
in your mouth you clenched words
too cold to melt in the sun.

You sleep buried in a field of grain.
It’s not the rose, it's not the tulip
that stands vigil over you by the shadow of the trenches,
but a thousand red poppies.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

"Il testamento" was the A-side of the fourth 45 released by Karim, in 1963. De André was no doubt familiar with similar type songs by the French singer/songwriters Georges Brassens ("Le testament," 1955) and Jacques Brel ("Le moribond," 1961), as well as with the 15th century French poet François Villon, whose poem "Le testament: Ballade des dames du temps jadis" was the inspiration for Brassens's song. While these works may have given De André the idea for the setup of the song - the last will of a dying man - the lyrics themselves are classic De André, filled with humor, making fun of the well-to-do and siding with the have-nots. (Translation note: "rendita" means income earned on capital, like interest from a savings account or bond, and the most accurate translation is "unearned income." That translation however might suggest that prostitutes don't have to work for a living. De André's intent here was more to put the (good) money that could be made by a prostitute on the same plain as the (easy) money made by the moneyed class on their capital, or to posit a social outsider like a prostitute being able to earn and save enough so as to be able to receive "unearned income," probably to the chagrin of mainstream owners of capital.)

When Death calls for me,
maybe someone will protest
after having read in the will
what inheritance I am leaving them.
Don’t curse me, it won’t do any good,
I’ll be so far into hell already.

To the pimps of the hookers
I leave an accountant's task
so that experts in their line of work
keep the populace informed

at the end of every week
about the capital gains of a whore,
at the end of every week
about the capital gains of a whore.

I wish to leave White Mary,
who doesn’t give a damn about decency,
a certificate of merit
that might pave the way to marriage,

with all good wishes to whoever fell for it
to keep themselves happy and betrayed,
with all good wishes to whoever fell for it
to keep themselves happy and betrayed.

Sister Death, leave me the time
to finalize my will,
leave me the time to say goodbye,
to pay my respects, to give thanks to
all the great masters of ring-around-the-rosie
‘round the bed of a dying man.

Mister gravedigger, listen to me a little.
Everyone dislikes your work,
they don’t consider it such a great joke
to cover with earth whoever rests in peace.

And for this reason I am proud
to award you the golden spade,
and for this reason I am proud
to award you the golden spade.

For that lily-white old countess
who moves no more from my bed,
so as to extract from me the insane promise
of reserving for her my lottery numbers,

I can’t wait to go among the damned
to reveal all the wrong ones to her,
I can’t wait to go among the damned
to reveal all the wrong ones to her.

When Death asks me
to give it back my freedom,
perhaps a tear, maybe just one,
on my tomb will be spent,
perhaps a smile, maybe just one,
from my remembrance will sprout.

If from my meat already eaten away,
where my heart beat out the time,
should one day be born a rose,
I give it to the woman who offered me her tears.

For every beat of her heart
I’ll render to her a red petal of love.
For every beat of her heart
I’ll render to her a red petal of love.

To you who were the most sought-after,
the courtesan who didn’t give it up to just anyone,
you who now, at the corner of that church,
offer likenesses to the beautiful and ugly alike,

I leave the notes of this song.
I sing the sadness of your illusion
to you who, to scrape by, are
compelled to sell Christ and the saints.

When Death calls me,
no one in the world will realize
that a man died without speaking,
without knowing the truth,
that a man died without praying,
fleeing the burden of piety.

Dear brothers of the other shore,
we sang in chorus down there on earth,
we loved in hundreds the same woman,
we departed in thousands for the same war.
This memory might not console you all -
when people die, they die alone.
This memory might not console you all -
when people die, they die alone.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

"Nell'acqua della chiara fontana" is a translation and adaptation of Georges Brassens's "Dans l'eau de la claire fontaine" (1962), another song that uses the medieval troubador song template seen in "Carlo Martello." At this time De André was still often presented in the press as a medievalist, hence the inclusion of "Nell'acqua," "S'i' fosse foco" and "Il re" on this album.

In the water of a clear spring
she was bathing all bare
when a breath of the north wind
carried her clothes off into the sky.

Through the thickness of her hair she asked me,
so as to dress herself again, to search
the branches of a hundred mimosas
and to weave branch with branch.

I wanted to cover her shoulders
completely with rose petals,
but her breast was so tiny
that just one rose was enough.

I searched yet more in the vineyard,
for halfway in it was no longer leafless,
but her hips were so tiny
that just one leaf was enough.

She held out her arms to me then
to thank me, a bit amazed.
I took her with such ardor
that she again was undressed.

The game amused the young lovely,
who over and over to the fountain
returned to wash herself, praying to God
for a breath of north wind.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

"La ballata del Michè," released in 1961, was the first song De André claimed as his own (the first two De André songs released by Karim he wrote off as "abortions" and "sins of youth"). He often said that the success of the song was enough to prevent him from giving up on his songwriting career and instead becoming a criminal lawyer. The song was inspired by an actual news event, and includes a number of elements common to De André songs: a tolerance, understanding and respect of the common man and his circumstances, along with a critique of both the law and the church for certain of their hard-line and merciless principles.

When they opened the cell
it was already late because
with a cord ‘round his neck
there hung Mike, all cold.

Every time I hear a rooster
crowing, I’ll think
of that night in prison
when Mike hanged himself.

Tonight Mike
hanged himself from a nail because
he couldn't remain twenty years in prison
far away from you.

In the darkness Mike went off knowing
he could never tell you that he had murdered
because he loved you.

I know that Mike
wanted to die so that
the memory of the deep feeling he had for you
would remain behind with you.

Twenty years they had given him.
The court decided it so
because one day he’d killed
someone who wanted to steal his Marie.

They had him condemned therefore,
twenty years in prison to rot away.
But now that he hanged himself
they have to open the door for him.

Even if Mike
didn’t write you explaining why
he left this world, you know that he did it
only for you.

Tomorrow at three o’clock
he'll fall into the common grave,
without a priest and the mass, because for a suicide
they have no pity.

Tomorrow at three o'clock
he'll be in the wet ground
and someone will plant a cross over him
with the name and the date.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.

Volume III, released in 1968 just three months after the release of Tutti morimmo a stento, included four new songs along with re-recorded versions of other songs released previously as singles. The new songs weren't originals, however: two translations of Georges Brassens songs, a 13th century Italian sonnet set to music, and a traditional 14th century French song. The lack of originals and the timing of the release points to the fact that De André's label wanted to release something on the heels of the huge success of the Mina cover of "Marinella" that was released at the end of 1967. Volume III had strong sales for two years following its release.